Michael Owen

[Decky]

My point is he may be overrated by Newcastle fans, but to us he is rated in terms of importance to us, if he is banging them in he is world class, if he isnt he is past it. At the moment he has been very good for us, so will get alot of credit. In the grand scheme of things he is immensly important to us, so i dont think he is overrated at all. Take into consideration our other players:

 

Martins - Can score goals, but far from his full potential, which at this club right now, he wont reach.

Xisco - unknown to most fans

Viduka - brilliant when fit, the key words being when fit

Ameobi - lol

Smith - lolcats

Carroll - A little bit of Xisco and a little bit of martins

Owen - proven quality and performing on and pitch and if Oba's comments are true, then off it aswell

 

That to me is why people concerned with NUFC rate Owen so highly

[Ronaldo]

so he is overrated but because the of his importance to nufc he isn't overrated   

 

the funny thing is, he's a good footballer with a very good goalscoring record against the premiership's lower echelon teams but beyond that, there's very little substance to his perception. In each international tournament since 98 he's let us down and he's never exactly set the premiership on fire either, yet I see and hear him described as world class all the time, seems very daft to me.

[Decky]

so he is overrated but because the of his importance to nufc he isn't overrated   

 

Put it like this:

 

Non-NUFC fans - Overrated, injury prone, great finisher, great professional, not much else. Some would take him in a heart beat, teams like Wigan etc, teams like Man Utd wouldnt look twice at him because of his injury record, maybe even teams like Villa wouldnt due to the wages and injury record.

 

NUFC fans - Not overrated, down to one fact, and thats because he is our best player and is immensly important to us, anyone who says otherwise needs to reconsider.

 

[merlin]

This debate is now outdated - unless there is a HUGE change in the club's ownership, running, and fortunes by January, he will be off to pastures new by the season's end and who would blame him for escaping the madhouse that is NUFC , where many fans , as was said on this site recently, 'wouldn't recognize a class player if he walked up and kicked them in the nuts' - one of the most telling and accurate comments I have seen !....

[Guest rebel_yell12]

so he is overrated but because the of his importance to nufc he isn't overrated 

 

the funny thing is, he's a good footballer with a very good goalscoring record against the premiership's lower echelon teams but beyond that, there's very little substance to his perception. In each international tournament since 98 he's let us down and he's never exactly set the premiership on fire either, yet I see and hear him described as world class all the time, seems very daft to me.

 

Lower echelon teams?  Owen's goal record is fairly consistent, imo.  Last season, he scored v. Villa, Everton (twice) and should've had one v. ManUtd (perfectly good goal called out), just off the top of my head.  Not what I would call lower echelon (4 of his 11).  When he was at Liverpool, he tended to score in the big games as well.  For Madrid, he scored against the likes of Barca, hardly lower echelon.  He's won two golden boots (1998 and 1999) and scored 18-19 in the league fairly regularly.  Considering his fitness record, that's quite good.  If the lad could stay fit for 35+ matches, I reckon he'd hit 20...but he doesn't/can't--which does detract from his marketability/valuation. 

 

As for his international record, I think you've made one of the hardest to support claims I've yet seen.  He's never failed to score in an elimination round match for England: and for that matter, at least in 2004, he did his job quite well (freeing space for Rooney, who looked class that tourney partly thanks to Owen's labours). He's England's top competitive goal scorer -- and is still just 28 years old.  He's scored against the likes of Argentina (3 times, responsible for 2 more of England's goals v. that nation), Brazil (twice), Germany, Portugal, and Croatia -- amongst many others.  Many managers, the likes varying from Keegan to Wenger, have cited him as a constant threat to defenses and I rather trust their opinions over yours (or my own observation, tbf).  Now, you can argue whether he's "world class" depending on one's own definition of "world class" but I don't think he's ever let England down, and nor would I say he's let any of his clubs down (okay, except when he left Liverpool...).  His goal record is better than 1 in 2 in the Premiership, near 1 in 2 in La Liga, and near 1 in 2 internationally.  That sort of consistency, spread over more than ten years of top-flight experience, is hard to come by.  For these reasons, I honestly don't understand the "Owen is over-rated" line.  I think it's become de rigeur of late to use it, but I just don't buy it.  But then, I rate him in relative terms -- is he better than the other options?  For Newcastle United, and for England, the answer is a resounding "yes", imo.  Makes him top-class for me.

[Cajun]

Owen didn't really want to sign his first contract with us, I have never thought he would sign an extension. We were his only chance of him coming back to England so he had to take it, he will have a lot more options open to him when his contract runs out. I blame the board for a lot but this I can't as I don't think he was ever going to sign a new contract.

[Big Geordie]

Can't blame Owen if he leaves at the end of the season. Sad thing is that he may not be the only big name to ship out.

[TRon]

Don't really know why Owen is coming in for stick here. I haven't been his biggest fan during his time here but last week he was the best player on the pitch and led by example unlike a few who's heads went down. By all accounts he's at the forefront of keeping morale up in the dressing room during a difficult time, so full respect for that.

[Thespence]

well mate, for a start, how does the performance of our other strikers relate to Owen's ability?

 

as for your question, Viduka is basically a 1 in 2 man when fit, the rest cant really compete just yet although Martins and Xisco are well on the way (like Xisco a lot, saw him a bit last season)

 

Owen is our best goalscorer but that doesn't make him a world class footballer, far from it. He isn't even a world class goalscorer really, not when you look at the records of certain players. Remember, cousin Michael has never hit the big 20 in a campaign

 

Mark Viduka record played 295 games in England scored 121

Michael Owens 346 & 180

 

 

 

[Thespence]

so he is overrated but because the of his importance to nufc he isn't overrated   

 

the funny thing is, he's a good footballer with a very good goalscoring record against the premiership's lower echelon teams but beyond that, there's very little substance to his perception. In each international tournament since 98 he's let us down and he's never exactly set the premiership on fire either, yet I see and hear him described as world class all the time, seems very daft to me.

 

He was joint top scorer with in 1999 & 1998 ffs.

 

He won the Ballon d'Or in 2001.  I guess he was just another lucky winner like that other fella you dislike Alan Shearer.

[Teasy]

we need him and he's very very good at putting the ball in the net but how people overrate him, honestly

 

You say overrate, but tell me who else at the club can score goals like Owen can?

 

well mate, for a start, how does the performance of our other strikers relate to Owen's ability?

 

as for your question, Viduka is basically a 1 in 2 man when fit, the rest cant really compete just yet although Martins and Xisco are well on the way (like Xisco a lot, saw him a bit last season)

 

Owen is our best goalscorer but that doesn't make him a world class footballer, far from it. He isn't even a world class goalscorer really, not when you look at the records of certain players. Remember, cousin Michael has never hit the big 20 in a campaign

 

 

 

Owen's overall club record is better then 1 goal every 2 games, the fact that he hasn't scored 20 Premiership goals in a season is down to the fact he's rarely played a full season, in fact I doubt he ever has.  Also its hardly fair to use being injury prone against Owen and then give Viduka the benefit of "when fit".  As for Viduka vs Owen, here's there overall record in England:

 

Owen - 1 goal every 1.92 games

Viduka - 1 goal every 2.43 games

 

And in the Premiership only:

 

Owen - 1 goal every 1.98 games

Viduka - 1 goal every 2.47 games

 

And for Newcastle:

 

Owen - 1 goal every 2.42 games

Viduka - 1 goal every 3.71 games

 

When both are fit Owen's easily the better striker, very easily now that Viduka's getting on.  Owen's record also shows that he's a world class striker IMO.

[Newcastle Fan]

If there is one man we can count on to lead us in this time its Owen, he really seems to be the only person who gives a fuck on or off the field.

[Optimistic Nut]

I can see him getting a couple today. West Ham's defence is woeful even before they lost their two "best" defenders McCartney & Ferdinand.

[Ronaldo]

so he is overrated but because the of his importance to nufc he isn't overrated   

 

the funny thing is, he's a good footballer with a very good goalscoring record against the premiership's lower echelon teams but beyond that, there's very little substance to his perception. In each international tournament since 98 he's let us down and he's never exactly set the premiership on fire either, yet I see and hear him described as world class all the time, seems very daft to me.

 

He was joint top scorer with in 1999 & 1998 ffs.

 

He won the Ballon d'Or in 2001.  I guess he was just another lucky winner like that other fella you dislike Alan Shearer.

 

Kevin Phillips in 2000 tbh 

 

Shearer never won the ballon d'or tbh. And Shearer was twice the player Owen is

[Skirge]

He seems to have stepped up, taken on the Captains role and is trying his best to get the lads to pull together, he will run his nuts off again vs the Hammers but a one man team is no good.

I am just happy to see him giving us his all.

[Optimistic Nut]

One thing is for sure, if Owen *touch wood* does pick up another injury anytime soon, then we really are in the sh*t. He's pretty much the one shining light we have at Newcastle at the minute.

[Skirge]

One thing is for sure, if Owen *touch wood* does pick up another injury anytime soon, then we really are in the sh*t. He's pretty much the one shining light we have at Newcastle at the minute.

Indeed, the only other player that  is anywhere near him is Beye and he is injured, leads from the back as Owen leads from the front..

[Thespence]

so he is overrated but because the of his importance to nufc he isn't overrated   

 

the funny thing is, he's a good footballer with a very good goalscoring record against the premiership's lower echelon teams but beyond that, there's very little substance to his perception. In each international tournament since 98 he's let us down and he's never exactly set the premiership on fire either, yet I see and hear him described as world class all the time, seems very daft to me.

 

He was joint top scorer with in 1999 & 1998 ffs.

 

He won the Ballon d'Or in 2001.  I guess he was just another lucky winner like that other fella you dislike Alan Shearer.

 

Kevin Phillips in 2000 tbh 

 

Shearer never won the ballon d'or tbh. And Shearer was twice the player Owen is

 

Aye, Kevin Phillips is player who " set the premiership on fire" for a season

 

Opps Big Al come 3rdO0

[Skirge]

Michael Owen future on hold amid NUFC turmoil

 

THE turmoil engulfing Newcastle United has left several important issues hanging in the air. None more so than contract talks for skipper Michael Owen, probably the club’s greatest asset now that Kevin Keegan has left St James’s Park

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/nufc/newcastle-united-news/2008/09/20/michael-owen-future-on-hold-amid-nufc-turmoil-72703-21861541/

[tmonkey]

Semi-decent performance capped by a goal, but he keeps missing sitters or hitting them directly at the keeper.

 

We need Martins back ASAP, Owen might be our best player currently but we need more firepower.

[Ronaldo]

did well under the circumcises today, lots of effort, good goal

[ChezGiven]

did well under the circumcises today, lots of effort, good goal

 

Sounds painful.

[S.S.R.]

did well under the circumcises today, lots of effort, good goal

 

Sounds painful.

 

Terrific technique. Pulled it back, then skinned em.

 

Keeper couldn't get his hand to it.

[Robster]

did well under the circumcises today, lots of effort, good goal

 

Sounds painful.

 

Terrific technique. Pulled it back, then skinned em.

 

[Mowen]

I can see him getting a couple today. West Ham's defence is woeful even before they lost their two "best" defenders McCartney & Ferdinand.

 

I was quite impressed with their defence today tbf, defended as a team and Upson in particular made some very good challanges. The Ilunga guy looked ok going forward as well.